Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 06/02/2025 Piccolo, a "very helpful" shrew sporting a jaunty scarf and cap, begins the day sipping coffee on a balcony overlooking an Italian cityscape rendered in golds, yellows, and oranges that radiate with promise. "Che citt? bella! What a beautiful city!" he exclaims. The shrew next makes plans to visit his favorite spots, starting with Miss Dolce’s gelateria ("It’s never too early for gelato!"). But before Piccolo can dig into a scoop of his beloved hazelnut, a cascade of requests for help arrives from the character’s many anthropomorphized friends. As he zips around on a turquoise motor scooter, each act of assistance takes Piccolo through places he loves in the town he loves, and even up to its highest heights: a final act, recovering a friend’s hat, leads him up a tower’s winding staircase and out to a clockface. Working in saturated, digitally enhanced brush and ink, Yaccarino (Bear and the Three Goldilocks) creates a world in which helping others facilitates la dolce vita-and dolci, too. An Italian glossary concludes. Ages 3-7. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Sept.) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 08/01/2025 K-Gr 3—"Buongiorno!" "Ciao, amico!" "Per favore aiuto!" Brightening the flavor of his narrative with Italian expressions—each punctiliously translated in place without affecting the flow, and also in a visual glossary at the end—Yaccarino sends Piccolo, a helpful shrew, motoring about his quaint if hilly città bella (beautiful city) on a scooter, greeting friends and lending a paw at need. After performing various tasks that take him to the art museum, the local ruins, and other favorite destinations, Piccolo arrives at day's end at his very favorite spot, the gelateria, only to find it closed! Ah, but here is Miss Dolce, the kindly owner, with one last favor to beg: "I have some extra hazelnut gelato but no one to share it with." A button-eyed animal cast waves amiably from illustrations that seem as simple as their sketchy figures and flattened perspectives—but on closer inspection reveal such strokes of sophisticated wit as a praying mantis in monkish robes and tonsure, and in the museum a tweaked version of a famous ancient sculpture that might be redubbed "Raccoön." VERDICT A happy taste of Italian language and culture, sweet as gelato and bound to leave readers and listeners of any age responding "Grazie."—John Peters - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/01/2025 *Starred Review* Yaccarino has truly made a name for himself in crafting sweet, relatable animals, and his skills are on full display with the titular shrew of this tale. Piccolo lives in his aptly named Italian town of Bella Città and has determined that today, he will visit all the best places in the city, with his favorite gelateria at the top of the list. As Piccolo ventures to town on his incredibly Italian Vespa, he greets his assorted animal friends along the way. Settling in to enjoy some hazelnut gelato, Piccolo hears a cry for help—thus kicking off his day of helpful escapades. While Piccolo does get to see all the desired spots on his list, the sight-seeing is more business than pleasure as he assists in a number of tasks, from carrying a painting to impromptu masonry and more. Finally, after retrieving a hat from the top of a clock tower, Piccolo realizes he never got to finish his gelato, but it is too late! Luckily, a friend is waiting to help him out, emphasizing the importance of helping those who help others. The use of India ink for outlining gives the linework a cartoon pop against the well-saturated color choices throughout, and an assortment of Italian phrases (with a concluding glossary) and visual references immerse young readers in the culture of it all. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.